PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
By Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon
Salt Lake City – Pioneer Theatre Company presents Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, a charming sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The production runs from November 30 through December 15, 2018.
Elizabeth Bennet Darcy has invited her family to join her for her first Christmas after her marriage to Mr. Darcy. Older sister Jane, middle sister Mary and younger sister Lydia join Lizzy for the festivities. Will an unexpected visitor catch the eye of bookish Mary, and will romance follow? Both lovers of Austen and those new to her work will enjoy this sparkling holiday comedy that will be loved by the whole family.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is by LAUREN GUNDERSON and by MARGOT MELCON. In 2017 Gunderson was the most produced playwright in America, with other works including I and You, Exit Pursued by a Bear, The Taming, Toil and Trouble and others. Melcon has developed plays with TheatreWorks, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, the Kennedy Center, and more, and is currently the Program Executive for Promoting Culture at the Zellerbach Family Foundation.
ELIZABETH RAMOS plays Mary Bennet, the middle Bennet sister. Finally coming into her own, Mary is no longer the solemn, plain sister she was in Pride and Prejudice, and has a chance to find love of her own. Ramos was in PTC’s Play-by-Play reading in October, Art & Class. Her Off-Broadway work includes The Surgeon and her Daughters, The Idea of Me and A Month in the Country.
Arthur de Bourgh is played by JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR. A studious bachelor who prefers books to people, Arthur has recently inherited a large estate and is trying to understand his new responsibilities when he comes to Pemberley for the Christmas holidays. Nanthakumar is making his debut at PTC, with other credits including Under the Bodhi Tree, LUDO’s Broken Bride and The Light in the Piazza in New York.
Playing Elizabeth Bennet Darcy and her husband Fitzwilliam Darcy are EMILY NASH and GREG BALLA, respectively. Balla has been seen Off-Broadway in Straight and Blue Man Group as well as in You Can’t Kiss a Movie and Power Plays. ATP student Nash is in her PTC debut.
The rest of the Equity ensemble includes RACHEL CLAUSEN and LOGAN JAMES HALL as eldest Bennet sister Jane Bingley and her husband Charles, and JESSICA NAIMY as Lydia Wickham, Elizabeth’s younger sister.
University of Utah ATP student SAVANNAH MOFFAT plays Arthur’s cousin Anne de Bourgh.
Guest director JULIE KRAMER directs the production. Kramer directed Outside Mullingar at Pioneer Theatre Company, as well as Play-by-Play readings Perpetual Girl, A Requiem for August Moon, Slow Food and True Art. Her work in New York includes Rona Jaffe’s The Best of Everything, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder’s Santa Doesn’t and And…Action by Eleanor Burgess.
Scenic design is by LAUREN HELPERN, an award-winning set designer based in New York City. Her designs have been seen in productions including 4000 Miles and Disgraced at Lincoln Center Theater and BUG at Barrow Street Theatre.
Costume designer SUSAN BRANCH TOWNE returns to Pioneer Theatre Company, after previous shows including A Comedy of Tenors, The Tempest, Hamlet, My Fair Lady, Chicago, Romeo & Juliet, Sophisticated Ladies and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. She has worked at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, Yale Repertory Theatre, New York City Opera and other numerous productions. She is based in Austin, Texas.
Lighting design is by MICHAEL GILLIAM whose previous Pioneer Theatre Company credits include Fences, Sting’s The Last Ship and Two Dollar Bill. His Broadway resume includes Bonnie and Clyde, Brooklyn, Big River and Stand-Up Tragedy. He also designed Gershwin Alone for London’s West End. His National tours include Peter Pan, Brooklyn, Guys and Dolls and Big River.
Hair and makeup design is by PTC resident designer AMANDA FRENCH, and sound design is by PTC resident designer ALLAN BRANSON.
PUBLICITY PHOTO SHOOT: There will be an on-stage publicity photo shoot on Tuesday, November 20, 2018. Please call Vreni Romang at 801-581-7222 to RSVP.
MEDIA PHOTOS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD: High-resolution color photos of this production will be available for media use on the PTC website beginning Wednesday, November 21, 2018 after 3:00 p.m.
Go directly to http://www.pioneertheatre.org/press-room/media-photos/ to view the photos.
Photos from our off-site shoot can be found online.
INTERVIEWS: Interviews with the cast and artistic staff are available. Call 801-581-7222 or email vreni.romang@ptc.utah.edu. Please note the Pioneer Theatre Company will be closed Thursday, November 22 in observation of Thanksgiving.
WHO:
Pioneer Theatre Company
WHAT:
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
By Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon
WHEN:
November 30 – December 15, 2018
TIMES:
Mondays – Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday matinees, 2:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
300 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
PRICES:
$30 – $45 in advance, and $5 more when purchased on the day of the show
Kids in grades K-12 are half-price on Mondays and Tuesdays
MORE INFO:
Box Office: 801-581-6961
Open 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Mon. – Fri.
www.pioneertheatre.org
CAST:
GREG BALLA*………………………………………………………………………….. Fitzwilliam Darcy
EMILY NASH………………………………………………………………………………. Elizabeth Darcy
RACHEL CLAUSEN*…………………………………………………………………………. Jane Bingley
LOGAN JAMES HALL*…………………………………………………………………. Charles Bingley
SAVANNAH MOFFAT………………………………………………………………….. Anne de Bourgh
JESSICA NAIMY*………………………………………………………………………… Lydia Wickham
JAMEN NANTHAKUMAR*………………………………………………………… Arthur de Bourgh
ELIZABETH RAMOS*……………………………………………………………………….. Mary Bennet
ARTISTIC TEAM:
JULIE KRAMER**……………………………………………………………………………………. Director
LAUREN HELPERN………………………………………………………………………. Scenic Designer
SUSAN BRANCH TOWNE…………………………………………….. Costume Designer
MICHAEL GILLIAM………………………………………………….. Lighting Designer
ALLAN BRANSON……………………………………………….. Resident Sound Designer
AMANDA FRENCH………………………………………. Hair and Makeup Designer
SARAH SHIPPOBOTHAM……………………………………………….. Dialect Coach
MARY P. COSTELLO*………………………………….Production Stage Manager
BECKY LYNN DAWSON*…………………………………………….. Stage Manager
KALLIE ERICKSON……………………………… 1st Assistant Stage Manager
ALEXANDRA BOWDEN………………………… 2nd Assistant Stage Manager
* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association.
** Denotes member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society